Waiting in Line for Beer

I don't agree with most of this statement.
"They're turning craft beer into something it never was and never should be: unrelatable, unaffordable, and unwelcoming. Beer is inclusive by nature, but lines only exist to exclude. With each line stood and each trophy beer captured, they threaten the community's fundamentally democratic nature."

However, the part of the line that makes it ecclusionary is the part of the line that is there to supply the secondary market. I can imagine that a line becomes very unwelcoming when you are surrounded by people who are there, not for the love of the beer, but are there because they can triple their money.
It is my position that the authors complaints are actually about the secondary market. The lines are simply, at least partially, the product of that secondary market

 

I have driven 160 miles and stood outside in miserable weather in the wee hours of the morning for Reds Opening Day tickets back in the days before my seasons tickets and the internet, so waiting awhile for beer doesn't bother me occasionally. I also drive all over Ohio for limited/special releases. It is about the experience that includes meeting/reuniting with other Ba's and old friends as much as the beer.

That being said, I have no problem with people questioning the practice. I am a bit hypocritical because I think the people that camp out for Black Friday specials are crazy, but to me that is because I look at it from a money/savings standpoint. Some people just like the chase/experience. My wife loves shopping in the middle of the night (aka people watching). As long as you realize that it is just a material item at the end of the day and don't treat people like shit because of it, to each their own.

The only problem I had with the article is the "I will be the guy over here drinking a Left Hand Milk Stout I bought at the gas station, laughing at you clowns waiting for bombers". I love LH as much as anyone, in fact, now I am craving one. However, I will be the one laughing, manically, while I drink my Jackie O's Bourbon Barrel Champion Ground. There is a reason some beers are less available than others, and it's not always hype.

 

I don't tell people what to do or not do. But I don't wait in these crazy long lines for hours for these special release beers. I do have the opinion that the "arrive hours early and line up for special release" mentality is part of the negative side of the beer industry because it does bring a lot of the muling, hoarding, line-jumping, finger pointing, angry Facebook posting, and most importantly, makes the next release more likely to have a longer line and hence the cycle continues and grows. I hope to live to see the days that any time a beer is released, we can just go to a store or brewery and buy it, special release or not, take it home and enjoy it. But that's me.

 

I agree with you here. The author definitely missed on a big reason causing the extremeness of lines (perhaps not necessarily the lines themselves but the length and how long in advance they form these days) and it is due to resellers/traders.

 

There is a reality now that certain beers that are limited will require waiting in line to purchase. You can be a craft beer enthusiast and forego this practice. There are plenty of incredible beers that are readily available. For some there is the need to seek out limited releases and these people will wait in line. Not much different than movie premieres, restaurant openings, or Black Friday sales. The line waiting does not "ruin" craft beer culture.

 

I don't do much line waiting, but I'm usually pretty pragmatic about it. When I got Pliny the Younger last Saturday I brought my homework and got all of it done while I waited in line. Weeks ago I waited in line to get some Bourbon County rare. It was a week day so I brought my laptop and used the place's wifi to work as I sat and waited. Both times I met some awesome people and made some great friends while I was at it. I was productive, I met great people, I drank awesome beer and I generally had a great time.

The hype trains do annoy me and I try not to contribute too much to it. That's the main reason I barely trade anymore. The latest trendy beer always trades so high it's ridiculous. I'll keep the stuff I can get and enjoy it rather than trading it at ridiculous ratios to try to get a taste of the the latest turbid IPA or annual RIS release. I'll wait in a line, but I keep it within reason. I don't do it to tick, I don't do it to get something to sell or trade. I do it because I enjoy the beer, I enjoy the culture, and I have ways of using that line time in a productive manner.

 

Author of article is "hey, check me out, I'm better than you cuz I have an opinion." Well, friend, check YOU out...

I, for one am willing to wait in line for 30oz opposed to the same line elsewhere for 5oz.

 

I agree the article is stupid. It's just some writer targeting a very small segment of the craft beer world, and patronizing it just for the purposes of writing an article.

I haven't personally waited in line at a beer release, but then again, there aren't any breweries near me that have lines for releases. It's only Russian River, and I haven't made the time to do PtY otherwise I for sure would have stood in that line. Hoping next year I can make it.

A new brewery, Alpha Acid, did post a picture of a line at their BA stout release, but I mean it wasn't crazy long. Probably like 40 people or so.

I am expecting possible lines and craziness when SARA does the West Ashley though.

 

If you want to wait in line for beer feel free....I'll never do it though. I just don't get it. I guess I'm not BA enough.

 

Hey, how come I see all you guys who say they will never wait in line in every line I wait on?

 

You have an active imagination? :-)

 

What's wrong with being in Maine? I enjoy visiting ME.

 

To each their own, if you enjoy waiting on line with other BA's more power to you. I am sure I would enjoy all the beers in the top 250 (except the sours). I'm also sure I wouldn't enjoy them much if any more from the other top beers in their style.

 

That's my take on it too. It's an unfortunate byproduct of success and limited capacity to make a particular beer. If I want the beer, I'll wait in line.

But at the same time I think some people here either have just had consistently positive experiences or are looking back with rose tinted glasses on their experiences with beer lines. They can be a bit of an asshole magnet with people double dipping or coming in with a parade of mules etc. etc.

 

I think the constant examination of what people do in craft beer is far more decisive than (most) of their actions. Much more time being spent worrying about how others enjoy their hobby. Seems like wasted energy to me.

 

There have been well discussed positive and negative experiences over the years for sure. I have had many positive and only one really negative. I grew up waiting in lines to buy Dead tickets, so lines aren't something new to me, and I might be more forgiving and patient than others.

Funny to see some comments in this thread about supermarkets versus waiting in line at the brewery, when flavors of the day like Grimm, which distributes and has no brewery, are blowing up to the point people are actually waiting in lines at supermarkets.

 

I have waited in line for beer twice. Both times at Treehouse on growler fill days.

First time I waited I was passing through the area before open and decided to stop, it was a nice day, I dropped a cooler off in the line, hopped on a conference call and once that ended shot the shit with folks in line. Little over a 2hr wait because I got there before open due to timing of my travel and that put me in the 1st 20 people or so.
Second time I was with co-workers and we arrived after opening and waited over 3hrs, we were 150 something in line, if I was alone I wouldn't have waited.

Been to Treehouse multiple times on can only Wednesdays with little or no waiting in line, in and out in 15 minutes or so.

I seem to always hit Trillium right and have never waited in a line, 15 minutes in and out.

A wait to me is over 30 minutes.

Would I wait in line again? If it was on my terms like the first scenario of me being early and then having no real wait once they opened, sure. Second scenario with 150+ people in front of me probably not, time is too valuable to me.

Wound I wait in line for a chance to have 1 pour of some super rare beer, no way.

 

I have a hard time taking a "published" article seriously when the author used profanity. You can't make your argument without it and actually sound intelligent? Just me. I'm not offended by it; I just feel it's out of place and takes away from the credibility.

 

That's true and if the Breweries sold their beer for what the market will bear the would be much smaller and might even vanish.

 

Of course once their is a "dramatically increase access to their beers" many BA's will no longer covet them.